How to Makeover a Cluttered Bookcase

If your bookcase is suffering from a serious case of clutter, it might be time to streamline. Bookcases provide great storage options, but it doesn’t take much to make them look messy. Since most bookcases involve open shelving, it’s important to make sure your bookshelves are looking their best. Here are a few ways to give your bookshelves that much-needed makeover.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Bookcases
• Books
• Coral
• Bookends
• Ceramic and glass accessories
• Vases
• Framed Photos/Art
• Wallpaper/Paint
• Magazine holders
• Small cardboard
• Metal or canvas-covered boxes

1. Don’t stuff bookshelves to the gills. Open bookcases look their best when they are no more than three-quarters full. Give your books and other belongings a little room to breathe.

2. 
    

   Arrange books by color and size. You’ll be amazed how much more pulled-together your bookcase will look when you organize it this way. (Let’s be honest, it’s not like the alphabetical system was working out so well anyway.)

3. Vary the arrangements. Line some books up side by side, stack others. It’s a good way to keep the shelves from looking boring, and the stacks of books make efficient bookends.

4. Speaking of bookends—get some! And add other decorative items too, like ceramics or glass vases.

5. Add art. A few framed pieces resting casually against the back of the shelf adds a nice decorative touch to your utilitarian bookcase.

6. If you’ve got a bookcase with a back, consider painting it a bright color or wallpapering it to give your books and other belongings a beautiful background.

7. If you need to store small, unattractive items or papers—and let’s face it, we’ve all got them—invest in some magazine holders and small cardboard, metal or canvas-covered boxes.

Resources

• Container Store Magazine Holder
• Container Store Boxes
• Container Store Boxes